RIM introduces free version of BlackBerry Enterprise Server

Research In Motion introduced a new, free software platform for small- and medium-sized business users called the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express.

The software, which will be available next month, provides access to corporate email, calendar and contacts, but offers 35 IT policies along with the existing security of a full BlackBerry Enterprise Solution. The platform is designed to run on an existing Exchange or Microsoft Windows Small Business Server for up to 75 users. A separate server can run the free software for up to 2,000 users.

Other features include the ability to manage and search email folders, book meetings and appointments, check availability and forward calendar attachments. Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files can be edited using RIM's Documents To Go software. The Enterprise Server Express can also run on its own server or on the same physical or virtual server as the Microsoft mail server.

Current Analysis analyst Kathryn Weldon said the move was a positive one: "...This provides the company with a beautifully cost-effective story for SMBs, a market in which it has been trying to make significant inroads. By providing a very trimmed-down version of BES (with many fewer yet still critical centralized IT capabilities, policy settings, and security measures), RIM may finally crack the code on how to draw this segment. As Windows Mobile, iPhone, and any ActiveSync-connected devices do not require a separate and expensive server beyond the Exchange server, and BES always did, RIM had long suffered from the reputation of being too expensive compared to competitive solutions."

For more:
- check out this InformationWeek article

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